That Sandstorm

[Chris of Arabia]

These were all taken around the time of my post in Off Topic - The first shot was taken at around 11:30 local time. Most were adjusted very slightly for levels and saturation, but #6 was untouched except to resize and sharpen a fraction.

#1
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3331/3343572407_ea788b5ae3_o.jpg (http://flickr.com/photos/cofa-trashcan/3343572407/)


#2
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3577/3343572733_32a4a29398_o.jpg (http://flickr.com/photos/cofa-trashcan/3343572733/)


#3
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3544/3344407594_952f0b5805_o.jpg (http://flickr.com/photos/cofa-trashcan/3344407594/)


#4
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3355/3344407936_9326656da6_o.jpg (http://flickr.com/photos/cofa-trashcan/3344407936/)


#5
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3298/3343573837_f2fbedc7af_o.jpg (http://flickr.com/photos/cofa-trashcan/3343573837/)


#6
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3342/3343574093_5d5e9517a0_o.jpg (http://flickr.com/photos/cofa-trashcan/3343574093/)


#7
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3321/3344408960_d5cc680020_o.jpg (http://flickr.com/photos/cofa-trashcan/3344408960/)


#8
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3342/3344409414_002c96d307_o.jpg (http://flickr.com/photos/cofa-trashcan/3344409414/)


#9
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3567/3343575263_c337b1ee0e_o.jpg (http://flickr.com/photos/cofa-trashcan/3343575263/)


#10
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3321/3344410108_b9ea5fff39_o.jpg (http://flickr.com/photos/cofa-trashcan/3344410108/)

[Antarctican]

Looks like a nasty event to be out in! Are there warnings that one is coming? Or do you see it approaching with enough time to get inside?

[Aggie]

I can feel the grit.

[Chris of Arabia]

Where Anne-Marie works, they saw it coming in across the desert, but we pretty much looked up to see that the world had gone beige outside and it just kept coming. I've never heard of any warnings being given, but we are lead to believe that there's rain behind it, or at least so the grapevine tells us. I only went out to get the FX33 from the car to take these. It's clearer but still pretty grotty, though it's now dark outside. They can take a few days to clear properly, or at least what passes as properly.

[Mike]

In #2, it looks like some body snatchers are out there...waiting for you.

[Chris of Arabia]

In #2, it looks like some body snatchers are out there...waiting for you.

They're going to be out of luck there then, don't think what I have could be classed as a body... :lol:

[Terri]

Great shots of a totally horrible-looking event. ugh!!

Glad everyone is okay....

[ann]

good heavens,

thanks for sharing.

that is some "magic Kingdom" lol

[LaFoto]

So when you go out and are in the streets in the midst of something like this, does it whip you in the face, does it hurt as much as when you do beach walking in heavy winds?

[Chris of Arabia]

So when you go out and are in the streets in the midst of something like this, does it whip you in the face, does it hurt as much as when you do beach walking in heavy winds?

Well it was breezy (whole reason why the stuff is in the air in the first place), but the sand is nothing like what you'd get on the beach. The particles are nearer to the consistency of flour; it's more dust than grains. As a result it can get into everything, but apart from tasting it and it making your eyes a little uncomfortable, it doesn't cause too much of a problem at a skin level, though you wouldn't want to breathe in too much of the stuff. This is the real reason why the traditional headdress is worn in the Middle East.

[LaFoto]

Ah, I see. I asked because it doesn't LOOK overly grainy, either. More like yellow dust. But I heard others say that therefore it can get EVERYWHERE. What an experience. And everyone wanted to take photos of it! Shows that it isn't something you'd experience every day.

[MissMia]

Wonderful series Chris! Shots 4 & 5 remind me of a scaled down model. Thank you for posting them.

[Chris of Arabia]

Wonderful series Chris! Shots 4 & 5 remind me of a scaled down model. Thank you for posting them.

That lampost you see there is the regular perch of one of the local hawks - not sure what kind. I see it pretty much every day, but it was keeping well out of the way today.

[ann]

just saw a headline on one of the news channels about this storm.

your images are better :)

[Chris of Arabia]

Just saw this on the BBC - Riyadh dust storm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/middle_east_enl_1236708105/html/1.stm). We were already in the middle of it by this time. That building in the right foreground is where I worked for the 1st 7 years I was here. The picture is taken from the Kingdom Tower (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_Centre), the view from the top of which is quite stunning.

[invisible]

Whoa, these images are tremendous! What a crazy phenomenon, especially for those of us living far away from deserts. Good to hear that it's not as harmful as being sandblasted in the face (and that you're alright).

[PhotoJet]

Wow! Looks like yellow/orange fog!:shock:

I had to go to your site to see what the heck was going on in #6... looked kind of like a chariot driver sans horses! :lol::lol:

Great pics! Thanks for posting!

[Chris of Arabia]

Just for the hell of it, I took a few more pics in the office today to compare with yesterday - boy does it look different. I'll post a few up later once I'm home. The local grapevine does say that there's another one on its way though. I gather it's got rain in it.

[Chris of Arabia]

And this is what it would normally look like...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3653/3347160408_4d362e7fd0_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cofa-trashcan/3347160408/)


http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3621/3346323495_8a2d606d3f_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cofa-trashcan/3346323495/)


The office - note the lack of orange tinted windows
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3547/3346323939_9dd818eabc_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cofa-trashcan/3346323939/)


The hat arrived today. Hisham agreed to model for me.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3634/3347161468_9e04415fec_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cofa-trashcan/3347161468/)


Looking up the Thummamah Road towards the crocodile
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3604/3347161836_0305aea3bd_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cofa-trashcan/3347161836/)


A bit of a difference would you say?

[MissMia]

What a difference! A couple of those shots remind me of the newer parts of Phoenix. Hopefully you will get rain with the next one.

Cool hat too!

[PhotoJet]

Wowser, that's some difference!
(Nice hat, btw!) ;)

[Chris of Arabia]

I'm impressed with the hat myself - it was shipped all the way from Oz.

[Lord Montagu the 3rd]

and this is the problem with digital cameras, no one uses 80b filters anymore ;-)

[Tangerini]

Woah. Those are crazy! Definitely a spooky site.